Growing Pains
by Number6of6
Summary: Hotch and Beth's relationship continues to develop and it's time for Beth to spend a little time with Jack.


She felt the light kisses on her back and shoulders and was considering opening her eyes, but decided they felt so good that she would just lie still for awhile longer to see if he would continue. He didn't disappoint and the kisses became a bit heavier and when he began nuzzling her neck from behind she moaned lightly and turned to face him.

"Good morning." He said happily.

"It's looking promising." She replied and smiled at him.

Later they lay in each other's arms, a sheet covering only their lower halves while their upper bodies attempted to cool down.

"That was a nice way to wake up." She said softly, so content she was almost humming.

"Yeah, I could get used to that." He mumbled softly, kissing the side of her head softly and cuddling her closer to him.

"What time is it?" She asked and waited patiently while he reached for his phone.

"It is 5:15." He said.

"Huh, I could've sworn I asked for a 5:30 wake up, not a 4:30 wake up." She teased.

"Would you believe me if I said my phone was an hour off?" He asked in a playful tone.

"No because nothing about you is ever off." She replied.

"Am I really that predictable?" He asked.

"No, you're dependable. Predictability would mean that you couldn't surprise me and well, that's not true because you just did and it was a nice surprise so I'm going to forgive you for cheating me out of an hour of sleep." She told him lifting her head from his shoulder and kissing him softly.

"You know you really can go back to sleep for awhile if you want to. Jack won't freak out if you're here when he wakes up." He told her.

"Jack finally decided to give me a chance. Let's not push it. When he wakes up in his own bed, he's used to having his dad to himself in the mornings and I don't want to disrupt his routine or make him uncomfortable." She said.

"His routine lately has been to dawdle until we're both rushing to put our shoes on and get out the door. I think he's ready for a little break from school." He told her.

"Speaking of which, what's a good day for me to spend with Jack?" She asked.

"That's up to you. Whatever day you can get free from work." He answered.

"What about his aunt? Is she going to be upset over it? I mean she is Haley's sister right?" She asked.

"She is, but unlike the rest of the family she really hasn't felt the need to punish me for what happened so I don't think there's going to be a problem. She's got two kids of her own who will also be out of school this week so she'll probably appreciate the break." He said.

"Aaron, I can't imagine how awful all of this has been for you, but what a blessing it must be to have someone like her. Are you sure my presence and asking to spend a day with Jack isn't going to mess things up?" She asked.

"Beth I can't be 100 percent sure about anything, but I'll tell you what. I'll talk to Jessica when I drop Jack off with her today and if I sense there is any kind of tension over it we won't do it. Okay?" He asked.

"Okay, but assuming she's okay with it, what should I do with Jack? Is there anything in particular he loves to do?" She asked.

"Jack is very curious about everything so I'm sure whatever you decide to do he'll love it and remember, the park is always a sure bet. He'd spend hours there if I'd let him." He told her.

"Okay, then if it's okay with Jack and Jessica, Wednesday would be a good day for me." She said.

"Great. I'll talk to her this morning and I'll give you a call later today." He said.

"Okay, I should be going. Promise me you'll stay safe?" She asked.

"I promise." He said, closing his eyes as she closed in on him for a passionate kiss; that if there'd been time, would've led to them spending another hour or so in bed.

He threw some clothes on and walked her to her car, kissing her goodbye and practically floating back into the building. She'd awoken something in him that had long been dormant and he couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so content and if anyone had suggested he'd suddenly have the sex drive of a man much younger than he currently was he would've scoffed at the idea. It's not that he didn't enjoy sex in the past, he did, but he'd made enjoying the simple pleasures in life a low priority and after Haley left him the idea of connecting with another woman on such an intense emotional level left him feeling exhausted so he'd just shut down, avoiding situations that could lead to intimacy and shooting down advances from women by pretending he hadn't noticed they were into him in that way. He'd made the decision to get the relief he needed by his own hand because he wasn't interested in actually feeling satisfied and on some level he didn't feel worthy of being satisfied. That was all changing now though and surprisingly he didn't feel consumed with guilt over the fact that he truly was allowing himself to move on and be happy again.

"So I guess things are getting serious with Beth?" Jessica asked.

"Well, I wouldn't allow Jack to get to know her and possibly get attached if I didn't feel confident she wasn't going anywhere." Hotch replied.

"And how does Jack feel about this? The last time I talked to him, Beth was a dirty word. Would he want to spend a day with her?" She asked.

"Jack's okay Jess. He was confused and afraid his mom was going to be mad at him if he was nice to Beth, but he's made peace with that. Obviously if Jack doesn't want to go with her, I won't push the issue, but if he's accepting of the idea, I'd like for it to happen, but only if you're really okay with it." He explained.

"So what, if I make a stink you're going to give up the possibility of making a new life for yourself?" Jessica asked.

"No, of course not, but I'd let it go for now. Just so you know, a new life for me does not now, nor will it ever mean shutting the door on my old one. I want you to always be in Jack's life and mine as much as you want to be." He told her.

"I appreciate that and I always expected you to move on Aaron and while it will no doubt hurt to see another woman stepping into Haley's role, I'm not going to make things difficult for you. As long as Jack's okay with Beth, I'm okay with Beth. If he wants to spend Wednesday with her then he'll do so with my blessing." Jessica told him.

"Thanks Jessica. I'll get the details from Beth and get back with you. I guess I better go see if Jack's okay with all of this." He said.

"Wow, you really are serious about this woman. You didn't even flinch when I suggested she might be stepping into the mother role." Jessica said.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Right now she's trying to be his friend and I didn't flinch because while I have no future plans beyond this week, I'm also not afraid of the idea of a future with Beth." He told her and walked away in search of his son.

"Hey you." She said cheerfully into the phone.

"Hey yourself, did I catch you at a bad time?" He asked.

"No, just trying to finish getting dressed so I can pick up Jack." She said.

"Yeah, about that, the plans have a changed a little." He said.

"Oh? Does he not want to do it anymore?" She asked trying hard to hide her disappointment and failing miserably.

"You know if you're trying to make me fall in love with you by wanting to spend time with my son, you don't have to try so hard. I'm already hooked." He teased.

"That's not funny Aaron." She said seriously, too seriously.

"Hey, I'm just kidding. What's the matter?" He asked.

"Nothing, maybe I just don't appreciate being accused of making nice with a six year old just so I can snare his father." She snapped at him.

"I'm sorry." He said, the gentle, light tone he'd had previously completely gone.

"No, god, I'm sorry Aaron. It's just that Jack being okay with us is important to me. He's so sweet and I'm really having a hard time with the idea that I'm upsetting him. He's had to deal with enough." She told him.

"Beth, I appreciate how much you care about Jack's feelings, I do, but change is a part of life for everyone, even little boys who have already known more than their fair share of grief and upheaval. I talked to him last night and he's very excited about today. The zoo, the park and a baseball game? Really?" Hotch asked, finding his lighter tone again to deliver the last sentence.

"He couldn't decide between the zoo and the baseball game and there's no reason why we can't do both." She said making him chuckle lightly.

"Or you could've just made him decide and limited him to one activity." He said.

"Jealous?" She teased.

"Extremely. Maybe the three of us can go somewhere together the next time I have a whole weekend free." He suggested.

"I'll start looking for the perfect getaway. You just concentrate on catching the bad guy and getting home." She said.

"Does that mean you miss me?" He asked.

"Of course I do, you don't miss me?" She asked.

"I do, very much. That's actually why I called. We're headed home later today. I told Jessica I'd just get Jack from you, I mean if it's okay with you. I shouldn't be home too late." He said.

"Should we cancel the baseball game?" She asked.

"No, no, don't do that. If I get back before the game is over, I'll just do some paperwork until you guys are done." He said.

"Are you sure Aaron because I'm sure Jack would much rather see you than a baseball game." She said.

"I don't know about that. I haven't really been gone long enough for him to choose me over hot dogs, organ music and a giant foam finger." He teased making her smile and wish she could reach out and hug him.

"He's lucky to have such an understanding father. I'll call you when we're leaving the ballpark." She said.

"Great. I'll see you soon." He said.

"Okay, be careful. I love you." She said.

"Love you too." He said and clicked his phone off.

He stepped out of the small office he had barricaded himself in and ran into a smirking Dave Rossi.

"What?" Hotch asked in an exasperated tone.

"Nothing, just wondering if you got your booty call all set up so we can focus on finishing up here." He taunted the man.

"You're never going to let up are you?" Hotch sighed.

"Nope, it's too much fun watching you squirm." Rossi smirked.

"For your information I wasn't setting up a booty call. I was making arrangements to pick up my son." He told him.

"And will you be picking him up at Beth's house?" Rossi asked.

"Yes." Hotch answered.

"Uh huh, like I said, booty call." Rossi remarked and walked away.

They'd walked the zoo for nearly 3 hours when the boy finally started showing some signs of fatigue. He plopped himself down on a bench dramatically and let his head fall back. She smiled and sat beside him.

"Getting tired?" She asked.

"Do I have to take a nap?" He asked.

"Does your dad make you take naps?" Beth asked.

"Only when I'm being cranky. Am I being cranky?" He asked.

"No, I think you've been behaving very well. Are you having fun? Did you see everything you wanted to see?" She asked.

"Uh huh and I got to see the monkeys two times. They're my favorites." Jack said happily.

"Are you hungry? Do you want to go get some lunch?" She asked.

"Beth, are you and daddy going to get married?" Jack asked.

"Why would you ask that Jack?" Beth asked.

"I heard Aunt Jessica tell Uncle Mike that she thought my dad was going marry you." Jack said.

"Jack, your dad and I don't have any plans to get married, but I promise you that if we ever decide to do that you will be the first person we tell." She told him.

"If you marry my dad will that make you my mom?" He asked, more curious than upset or anything.

"If I married your dad I would technically be your stepmom, but Jack I would be whatever you wanted or needed me to be. You had a wonderful mother and no one wants to replace her. Okay?" Beth said.

"Did you know my mom?" Jack asked.

"No, I didn't, but your dad has told me a lot about her and I've seen her picture. You look very much like her." Beth said.

"I don't remember her too much anymore. It gets hard to remember what she looked like unless I look at pictures." Jack said a twinge of sadness in his voice.

Beth took a chance and placed a gentle arm around him and pulled him close to her.

"Jack, you know that feeling you get that makes you feel safe, happy and maybe even a little warm and it kind of makes you smile even though you don't know why?" She asked.

"You mean like when I'm about to fall asleep and I just feel really happy." He asked.

"Yeah, like that." She said.

"What about it?" He asked.

"That is you remembering your mother's love and how her love made you feel." Beth told him.

"It is?" He asked.

"It is and as long as you hold onto that safe, warm, happy feeling even if it's just for a quick moment before you fall asleep, you will always remember your mom because that's what moms and dads are Jack, they're love, the purest kind of love any of us ever know." She told him.

"You're really nice Beth. I'm sorry I was so mean before." He said.

"It's okay Jack and you know what, I think you're really nice too. So how about that lunch? Anything you want." Beth said.

"Can we get turkey sandwiches and juice and eat in the park?" He asked excitedly.

"Only if you promise to eat at least half before you run off to play." She laughed and ruffled his hair.

It had happened so fast she wasn't quite sure how it happened and every second afterward was quickly becoming a blurred nightmare as she carried the bleeding child to her car and to the nearest emergency room, his precious beautiful face covered in blood and her unable to calm him enough to figure out where the blood was coming from. She ran into the ER holding the bleeding child in her arms, her own shirt blood soaked and the whole scene looking so traumatic that he was immediately rushed back to be examined. He kicked and screamed and cried for his daddy as she and two hospital personnel held him down the best they could while the doctor attempted to assess the damage.

There was a gaping hole where his left eyebrow used to be and there was so much blood in his mouth that she couldn't tell if his teeth were intact or not.

"What happened?" The doctor asked.

"He was climbing up the ladder on a slide and I don't know what happened. He slipped and fell and his face hit the ladder a couple of times on the way down. It was one of the sickest things I've ever seen and heard in my life." Beth explained.

"What's his name?" The doctor asked.

"Jack." Beth answered.

"Jack, can you hear me?" The doctor said loudly.

"Yes." Jack cried.

"Does anything hurt besides your head?" The doctor asked.

"My foot hurts. I want my daddy! Get him!" Jack screamed the shrill sound of his cries filling the halls of the ER.

"Where is his father?" The doctor asked.

"Probably on a plane or about to get on a plane. He's coming home from El Paso today." Beth explained.

"Are you his mother?" The doctor asked.

"No, I'm just…..why, what's the matter?" Beth asked.

"I don't think he's seriously injured but I do want to get a scan of his head to make sure and take a look at his foot, but he's definitely going to need stitches to close the wound on his head and I'm going to need parental consent to treat him." The doctor told her.

"I can call him. Will that work?" Beth asked.

"Yeah, we can get all of the paperwork signed later and they're going to need some sort of proof of insurance at the front desk." The doctor said.

"Jack, I'm going to go call your dad." Beth said.

"No Beth! Don't go! I'm scared." Jack cried.

"Okay honey, shh, it's going to be okay." Beth tried to comfort him.

"It's hurts…..Oww! Stop it!" Jack screamed as the doctor and a nurse attempted to clean up his face so they could get a better look at what they were dealing with.

Beth held onto Jack's hand with one hand and dialed Hotch's cell phone with the other. When it went straight to voice mail she immediately hung up and called the one woman she knew would be able to get a message to him.

"Is this Beth calling me? I feel kind of special you know because boss-man really hates it when we get all up in his business…" She rambled on before Beth finally cut her off.

"Penelope please listen to me. Jack is hurt and I need you to find Aaron and have him call my cell phone immediately!" Beth snapped at her.

"What do you mean hurt? What happened to him?" Penelope asked.

"He fell at the park. He's got some pretty bad cuts that need stitches. They don't really think it's too serious but Jack is crying…no, he's screaming for his dad so could please work your magic and find him?" Beth asked, clearly upset, but also almost eerily calm.

"He will be calling your cell phone momentarily. Tell Jackster to hang in there." Penelope said and hung up before Beth could thank her.

Less than a minute later Beth's cell phone was ringing. Hotch could hear his son crying in the background as soon as she answered it.

"Where are you?" She asked.

"I'm still in El Paso . What's happened to Jack?" He asked, remaining calm.

"He fell off the slide and he's got a really deep gash on his forehead. They want to do a CT scan of his head to make sure there are no serious injuries but he's so upset Aaron I don't know if they'll be able to calm him down enough to stick him in that machine. They also need your permission to treat him." She stated calmly, too calmly.

Hotch spoke to the doctor briefly, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath as the screams of his child in the background were daring to unravel him. The doctor handed the phone back to Beth and began preparing Jack for what appeared to be quite a few stitches. Jack was screaming and kicking and coughing and Beth set the phone down so she could help sit him up so he could get sick into the small plastic trough they placed in front of him. They laid him back down and she took hold of his hand again and grabbed the phone with her free hand.

"Aaron, can you come home right now. I don't think he's going to settle down enough for them to close the wound on his head." Beth asked.

"We're scheduled to fly out in a couple of hours." He answered.

"What should I do?" She asked.

"Put the phone to his ear, I want to talk to him." Hotch said.

"I can't, they're working on his head and there's stuff all over the place." Beth told him.

"Then put me on speaker." Hotch snapped, frustrated with the situation, not with her.

"Jack, your dad wants to talk to you. Can you settle down some and listen?" Beth asked and held the phone up just above Jack.

"Hey buddy." Hotch said.

"Make them stop hurting me daddy." Jack pleaded with him.

"I know it hurts buddy, but they're trying to make you better. I need you to be as brave as you can be. Okay?" He spoke in his kindest, yet most convincing daddy voice.

"I'm not brave, not like you. I want you to come home." Jack cried.

"I know buddy and I wish I could be there right now, but I can't and you are brave, you're the bravest little boy I know. It's okay to cry buddy. Hospitals are scary places and what they're going to do is going to hurt for a few seconds but after that you won't feel anything. Do you trust me?" He asked.

"Yes." Jack whimpered.

"Okay then, close your eyes and hold Beth's hand." Hotch instructed.

"I'm already holding her hand." Jack told him as if it were foolish for him to suggest otherwise.

"That's good buddy. Now when the doctor says, "when" I want you to squeeze her hand as hard as you can and it's okay to scream ouch if you need to, but just keep squeezing her hand and before you know it, the pain will be all gone and you can close your eyes and go to sleep if you want while the doctor fixes your cut." Hotch told.

Beth could hear him slowly losing his composure as he worked to talk his son through the scary and somewhat painful procedure of getting stitches. Fifteen minutes into the procedure Jack had completely settled down and judging by how lightly he was now holding her hand, he was almost asleep. Beth put the phone to her ear and spoke softly.

"Aaron, he's okay now. He's just about asleep and they are about half way done with the stitches." Beth said.

"Do you want me to stay on the phone with you until they are finished?" Hotch asked.

"No, it's okay. I'm sure you need to get back to whatever you were doing." She said.

"The team can wrap things up. This is more important. Are you okay?" He asked.

"Me? I'm fine. I'm not the one with a huge gaping hole where my eyebrow used to be." She huffed, obviously not fine, but not something he felt they shouldn't get into over the phone.

"What can I do?" He asked.

"Just get home as fast as you can...oh and if you could get someone to contact the hospital with your insurance information that'd be great." She said.

"Garcia is already taking care of that. Do you want me to call Jessica so you won't be alone with him when he wakes up again?" He asked.

"No, don't do that. The grandparents took her children for the day and she was really looking forward to having a real date with her husband tonight." Beth explained.

She looked down and the doctor was finishing the last stitch.

"He's all done. He's got a cut on the inside of his bottom lip and he bit his tongue pretty good, but it should heal on its own in a few days. We're going to get some pictures of his head and his foot and then I'd like for him to hang around for a few hours just to make sure we're not dealing with a concussion." The doctor told him.

"Aaron, I should go. They're going to be taking Jack down to scan his head and x-ray his foot." She said.

"Yeah, I heard. Are you sure you don't want some company?" He asked.

"No, it's okay. I think the worst of it is over." She told him.

"Okay, I'll keep my cell phone on. Call me if you need me for anything and Beth, thank you. I know I don't sound like it, but I'm kind of going crazy here and it helps knowing you're there with him." He admitted.

"I'll call you when they discharge him. Talk to you soon." She told him and ended the call, confirming his suspicion that she wasn't okay.

He shoved his phone in his pocket and joined the team in the conference room.

"How's Jack?" Morgan asked.

"He's going to be okay." Hotch answered in his typical "I don't want to talk about it" tone.

"Are you….going to be okay?" Prentiss asked.

"I'm fine. Let's just finish up so we can get out of here." He growled at her.

Later on the plane he sat in his seat and watched her for a long time before finally getting up and joining her at the other end of the plane. She looked up at him and before she could get the words out of her mouth he put his hand up to stop her.

"No, don't. I'm the one who should be apologizing. You were just being a friend and I'm sorry." He said.

"I guess we all thought we were past the days of us showing concern for you being taboo because it is somehow crossing Hotch's invisible line between boss and subordinate." Emily said.

"We are and I'm sorry. It was all very upsetting and you know me, I'm not good at sharing. I prefer to internalize." He said.

"Do you feel like sharing now?" She asked.

"I guess I can't expect you to feel like you can come to me with anything if I can't offer you the same in return." He said.

"You know you can Hotch….come to me with anything. I'll always listen and I'll always keep your secrets and unlike Rossi, I won't torment you with my knowledge." She told him forcing a half smile onto his face.

"He has been having a lot of fun at my expense the last couple of months hasn't he? So are we okay?" Hotch asked.

"Yeah, we're okay. Are you okay?" She asked for the second time that day.

"Honestly Emily, I'm questioning everything again. My son is lying in a hospital emergency room and I'm 1,500 miles away unable to help him or just be there for him like I should be. Then there's Beth." He said.

"What about her?" She asked.

"I think she got a good taste of what it's like to be a part of my life today and I don't think she liked it very much. I mean what woman in her right mind would want anything to do with me and my ridiculous lifestyle?" He asked.

"Was she upset with you?" Emily asked.

"She was trying to mask it, but she was clearly upset, but no, she wasn't yelling at me or demanding I get home right now or anything." He told her.

"Then don't jump to conclusions. We talked to Garcia and I don't know how she knows the things she knows, but she knew all about Jack's injuries right down to how bloody it was. Maybe she's just upset Hotch because seeing a child go through something like that would be upsetting." Emily suggested.

"It would be. It was upsetting to listen to over the phone. I should've been there Emily and I'll feel guilty about it for days, but I won't do anything about it. I'll continue to do this job until they force me into retirement or I fall over dead at my desk. What is the matter with me?" He sighed, obviously frustrated with the internal struggle he constantly dealt with.

"You know Hotch, there's nothing wrong with loving your job and enjoying knowing that every single day you are making a difference. Jack doesn't need a father who doesn't feel happy and whole because he's stopped doing the thing that he was clearly put on this earth to do. Yeah you're going to feel guilty for a few days for not being there, but so what, at least when you're not there it's not because you don't want to be there so stop beating yourself up over it." She told him.

"Do you really believe we do this job because it's what we're meant to do? Is it really a calling Emily or is it an obsession?" He asked.

"No, I didn't say we, I said you. For you it is definitely a calling, for me, it's part of my own personal journey of self-discovery. I don't think I've found the thing in life I was meant to do yet, but I will and hey I've made some really good friends along the way so I have no complaints." She said.

"What does that mean Prentiss? Should I be concerned?" He asked.

"Hotch, the only thing you need to be concerned about tonight is your son. We're not going to make this about me so you can shift the focus. It's okay to be upset and rattled because your little boy is hurt. You don't always have to be a rock Hotch." She told him.

He simply nodded an appreciative nod and the conversation ended, both of them spending the rest of the flight gazing out the window deep in thought, but somehow taking comfort in knowing that the other was right there.

He knocked lightly on the door, not wanting to startle her or wake Jack if he was asleep. Her appearance startled him a bit, but he shook it off and stepped inside with her.

"Did you just get home?" He asked.

"No, they kept him for a few hours, made him eat something and then released him. We've been here for about two hours. Do you want to see him?" She asked, the eerie calmness she'd been displaying earlier still there, but eerier than it had been before, but he supposed that could be do to the fact that her eyes were blank and she was still walking around in a blood soaked shirt.

She led him into her bedroom where Jack lay sleeping soundly in the middle of the bed, clutching a teddy bear. His eye was several shades of purple and grotesquely swollen as was his bottom lip and Hotch was visibly shaken for a moment, albeit a very brief moment.

"How many stitches?" He asked.

"27, but some of those are on the inside. He said his age and the fact that it's on the brow should lead to minimal scarring." Beth said.

"His foot?" He asked.

"It's a pretty bad sprain. He's supposed to stay off of it for a couple of days and then he can start putting some weight on it." She said, her tone so flat and almost robotic he couldn't stand it any longer.

He took her by the hand and led her out of the bedroom. He sat her down on the couch and tried to get her to look at him, but she wouldn't. He finally placed a gentle hand under her chin and coaxed her into making eye contact with him and that was all it took. The blank look in her eyes was replace by instant recognition and then a flood of emotions that changed so rapidly even his trained eyes couldn't identify all of them accurately. Then the tears came and this was a side of her he'd never seen before. She was always so happy and positive and sure of herself and this was the complete opposite. She was a mess and he could feel his heart breaking for her as soon as the first words came out of her mouth.

"Aaron I am so sorry. You trusted me with your son and look what I let happen to him. He's all broken and disfigured and I'll understand if you're angry with me. I don't know what happened. One minute he was climbing up the slide waving happily to me and the next minute he was falling and oh god it was so awful, I can still see his face bouncing off that ladder on the way down and the sound, that sound will haunt me forever and then he didn't make a sound for those few seconds after he hit the ground and I thought, I thought…." She stammered, almost hysterical and crying so hard she couldn't get the words out, but she didn't need to, he knew what she'd thought.

He pulled her into his arms and held onto her, allowing her to completely break down and let the trauma of the day finally have its way with her. He moved his strong hands up and down her back slowly, trying to comfort her and having some success as she began to settle a bit into his arms.

"It was an accident Beth and it never occurred to me to be angry with you or anyone else, except maybe myself for not being here. I am so sorry you had to go through that alone, but I am so glad you were there for him. Thank you." He said the sentiment genuinely heartfelt and she could tell.

"I wasn't completely alone. Penelope showed up about 30 minutes after I hung up with you. She brought all the information for the hospital and she brought Jack that bear he's sleeping with right now." She said.

"I'll have to remember to thank her next time I see her." He said.

She pulled away from his embrace and looked at him. The blank look was gone and had been replaced with a tired look. He looked at her shirt and then back at her.

"Are you going to be okay if I gather up my son and get both of us out of your hair?" He asked.

"Don't do that Aaron. He's resting so well and to be honest, I really don't want to be alone. I will however, change my shirt." She said.

"I'll buy you a new one." He offered.

"Not necessary. Be right back." She said and disappeared into her bedroom.

Hotch used the free moment to call Rossi.

"Hey Dave, I hope I didn't wake you." Hotch said.

"Not likely. How's Jack?" Rossi asked.

"He's pretty banged up, which is why I'm calling. He's kind of helpless right now and needs me around to do things for him that he probably wouldn't be comfortable having his aunt do for him so I'm going to take a couple of personal days." Hotch told him.

"Take as much time as you need. How's Beth?" Dave asked.

"She's pretty shaken up. Tell Strauss I'll call her sometime tomorrow." He answered.

"You let me worry about Strauss." Dave said.

"Thanks Dave. Goodnight." Hotch said and ended the call just as Beth walked back into the room in a t-shirt and a pair of shorts.

"Want something to eat or drink? I've got beer and wine and two day old pizza." She offered.

"No, I'm fine. Come sit down." He said.

She walked over to the couch, but instead of sitting down beside him she straddled his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him. He could feel her grinding against him and when her hands went for his belt buckle he grabbed her hands to stop her.

"Do you really think this is a good idea?" He asked, more concerned about her state of mind than Jack waking up and catching them.

"I need this….I need you." She told him with just enough desperation in her voice that he decided to throw logic and caution out the window and try to be whatever she needed him to be in that moment.

It was frenzied and desperate, neither removing anything more than what was necessary to connect the way she needed to connect with him, her in complete control and him allowing her to be in complete control. She needed to have him as deep as she could get him and to feel like he still wanted her after what she'd let happen to the one thing in life he loved more than anything else. When he couldn't take the rough ride any longer he laid her back onto the sofa and calmed her down, thrusting into her fully and holding himself there while he looked into her eyes and kissed her gently, but fully, before moving his mouth to her ear.

"I love you." He said softly and began making love to her in a manner that he hoped would prove that to her.

They fell asleep in each other's arms on the couch and at some point in the night had managed to move into the bedroom and take a spot on either side of Jack. Hotch awoke the next morning with Jack snuggled up next to him, the teddy bear discarded and his little hands clutching handfuls of his shirt. Beth was snuggled in behind Jack in a protective manner and if the sight of his battered little boy hadn't been so unsettling he probably would've found the image of the two of them endearing. Jack began to stir and finally open the one eye he could actually open.

"Hey buddy." Hotch said softly.

"I don't feel good dad." Jack said.

"I know you don't. I'm sorry I wasn't here yesterday, but I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere until you feel better." He told him.

"You don't got work today?" Jack asked.

"No, I'm going to stay with you." He answered.

"Does Beth got work today?" Jack asked.

"I'm not sure. I thought we'd let her sleep a little bit more and then ask her." Hotch told him.

"Dad, I need to go to the bathroom." Jack said.

Hotch slowly moved himself off the bed and then carefully lifted Jack away from Beth and into his arms. The child immediately laid his head on his shoulder.

"Are you going to get sick?" Hotch asked.

"No, I'm just dizzy." Jack told him.

She could hear them in the living room and glanced up at the clock. It was 6:30. The events of the previous day immediately came flooding back and she buried her face in the pillow for a few minutes before finally pulling herself up and joining them in the living room.

"Hey, I was just about to wake you. Are you working today?" He asked.

"No, I called them last night and explained what was going on. What about you?" She asked.

"No, I'm taking a couple of personal days." He told her.

She walked to the side of the couch and sat down next to Jack who was stretched out across the cushions and propped up on a couple of pillows.

"How are you feeling today Jack?" She asked.

"Bad." Jack groaned.

"I should take him home, but I'm afraid the car ride might make him sick if I rush him." Hotch said.

"You stay here as long as you need to. Jack, I'm so sorry I let you get hurt." Beth told him, lips quivering as she fought her emotions.

"It's not your fault Beth. I didn't climb the ladder right." Jack told her.

"Were you climbing two steps at a time?" Hotch asked him.

"Yes daddy and you're right, it's dangerous. Am I in trouble?" He asked.

"No." Hotch and Beth both said in unison and then looked at one another.

"Are you hungry?" Beth asked.

"Yes, but my mouth hurts." Jack answered.

"Not a problem. I have just the thing for a hurt mouth." Beth said and headed for the kitchen.

Hotch found some cartoons for Jack and followed her into the kitchen. He watched her cut up a banana and then reach for some strawberries before he finally spoke.

"What are you making?" He asked.

"A strawberry/banana smoothie. He can eat it with very little effort and the cold should feel good on his shredded tongue." She answered.

"Let me to do it. You've done enough." He said and reached for the knife.

"I don't mind Aaron, do you?" She asked.

"Why would I mind?" He asked.

"I kind of lost my mind last night." She said.

"You certainly had every right to lose your mind. I can't imagine how scary that whole ordeal must've been." He said.

"So we don't need to speak of it ever again?" She asked.

"Not unless you feel the need to analyze a perfectly normal reaction to trauma." He said.

"No, I just needed to let you know that the message was received and that I hope you know how much you and Jack mean to me." She told him.

"I do and I hope you know how much you mean to us." He said.

"It's okay Aaron, I don't expect or need Jack's full acceptance immediately. I know I'll have to work for that, but he's worth it." She said.

He kissed her softly and then allowed her to shoo him away so she could finish making Jack's smoothie. A few minutes later she entered the room with the frozen treat and his eyes lit up.

"I can have that for breakfast?" He asked.

"Of course you can, I have them for breakfast all the time." Beth told him as she sat down and gently fed him a small spoonful.

"Mmm, that's good and it doesn't hurt my mouth." Jack said.

"Good. Do you want me to keep helping or do you want to do it yourself?" She asked.

"Can you keep helping? It's hard to see stuff with just one eye." He said, making both of them smile.

After the smoothie and a short nap for Jack, Hotch decided it was time to take Jack home so he could bathe him and get him comfortable in his own environment. As they were leaving Beth remembered Jack's teddy bear and handed it to him.

"I think he'll be good company for you while you're stuck on the couch or in bed." Beth told him.

"Are you coming too?" Jack asked.

"No honey, I think you need to spend some time with your dad and rest so you can feel better, but I'll see you soon. Okay?" Beth told him.

"I like to spend time with you too. Can she come with us dad?" Jack asked.

"That's up to her son." Hotch told him and grinned at Beth.

"Tell you what, you go with your dad and I'll come later." Beth told him.

"How much later?" Jack asked with the hint of a whine.

"Jack." Hotch warned.

"Not too much later. I'm going to stop by the store and get everything we need to make you some more frozen drinks to eat. Okay?" Beth asked.

"Some chocolate milk too?" Jack asked.

"Sure." Beth answered and kissed him softly on the cheek.

She walked them to Hotch's car and waited while Hotch secured him into the back seat. He closed the door and placed his hands on her hips, drawing her in for a quick kiss and hug.

"See you soon?" He asked.

"Very." She said.

She watched them drive away and then happily walked back into her apartment. She picked up her cell phone and called her administrative assistant.

"Tammy, it's Beth, go ahead and clear my schedule for Friday too." Beth told her.

"Oh, is everything okay?" Tammy asked.

"Everything is great." She answered.


End file.
